Wringer



.J. s. EAsoN July 14, 1925.

WRINGEB Filed Nov. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l TIIIIIIII.

July 14, 1925.

J. s. EAsoN WRINGER Filed Nov. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mv MQ @5MM MN Patented July 14, 1925. f

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN S. EASON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR T TWIN CITY WRINGER COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WRINGER.

Application'fned November 25, 1922. serial No. 603,213.

. Toa/.ZZ lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. EAsoN, a citizen of the United -States, residing at St.. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVringers; and. I do hereby declare the following to be a y full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to wringers and is in the nature of an improvement on or modification of the wringer disclosed and clailned in my pending application Serial Number 545,949, filed of date March 23, 1922.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The features of novelty and the importance thereof will appear from the following detailed description of a commercial Wringer embodying my invention. In the drawings, which illustrate said invention,

like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with some parts in vertical section and some parts broken away, showing the improved Wringer;

Fig. .2 is a plan or top view of the wringer, some parts being in horizontal section and some parts being broken away; and

'Fig 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

In many respects, my present improved wringer -is like the wringer illustrated in my pending application, but it differs therefrom in several important particulars.

i Hence, the parts thatare similar will be briefly noted, While those that are different will be particularly described and their functions clearly set. forth.

As shown, the wringer frame 4 is a hollow cast shell of yoke-like form', provided in the opposing faces of its vertical extensions with openings through which the ends of the upper and lower wringer rollers 5 and 6 are passed. The hollow ends of said frame aord seats for relatively fixed lower bearings 7 and guide columns for vertically movable upper bearings 8, between which bearings coiled roller-separating springs 9 are compressed. The shafts 5' and 6a of the rollers 5 andG, respectively, are journaled in the bearings 8 and 7 and, at one standard or pedestal 14. The housing 13 contains reversible driving mechanism not necessary for the'purposes of this case to consider other than to note that for cooperation with the half-clutch 11, there is a half-clutch 15 secured to aI` shaft 16 journaled in said housing and arranged to be driven through a reversible gear drive indicated as an entirety by the numeral 17. Pivotally connected to the lower end portions of the frame 4 is a drain board or plate 18.

A pair of oppositely extended pressure levers 19 are located Within the hollow upper portion of the frame'4 and are vintermediately pivoted thereto by fulcrum pins 20. The outer ends of these levers 19 are preferably of rectangular form in plan view Cgsee particularly Fig. 2), and fulcrume or pivoted within and to the free ends of these rectangular lever portions are motion-translating devices in the form of bell cranks orrockers 21, the lower arms of ywhich, as shown, press downward on the upper bearings 8. Preferably, the lower and upper bearings 7 and 8 are seated directly in U-shaped wearing plates 7 and 8', which, in turn, are directly seated in the frame 4, .but the said elements 7 and 7 andengage directly on the sections of a bifurcated cam or eccentric 22 that is pivoted on a heavy pin 23 mountedin the sides of the frame 4. This bifurcated cam 22 is form-ed integral with or otherwise rigidly secured to an operating lever 22 that works through a slot 24 in the top of the vframe 4. Preferably, the bifurcated cam 22, on its eccentrlc portion, is provided with a plurality of slightly depressed notches to assist 1n holdin said cam in different `positions to put di erent tensions on the rollers through independently operated spring devices now to be described.

erably in the form of nut-like washernormal tension of the said springs.

equipped heads 27 having rigidly secured screw-threaded stems 28 that work with threaded engagement through the opposite ends of a spring base 29 that is centrally anchored to thecentral upper portion of the frame 4 by the pin or bolt 23. To hold the spring base 29 lagainst rocking movements on the pin 23, it is provided at its ends with oppositely project-ing arms 29 that engage with horizontal flanges 3() formed on the interior ofthe frame 4.

The nut-like heads of the spring caps 27 have axially projecting conical lugs 31 that hold the inner ends of the` tension springs 25 centered in respect thereto.

With the above described arrangement, when the spring caps 27 are rotated, they will be variably spaced from the adjacent ends of the fixed spring base 29 and, obviously, adjustments of the said spring caps in a direction away from the bolt 23 will increase the tension of the springs 25. It is also' evident that the adjustments of the two springs 25 may be inde ndently made, so that just the right tension may be put on each' end of the rollers, regardless of the This is important because springs made in the ordinary way will vary materially as to their normal tension due, among other things, to variations in tempering. Moreover, for dii'erent kinds of work, dirlferent tension on the rollers will be required. I have also found it desirable that the pressure on the opposite ends of the rollersbe independent, for the following reasons:

If the clothes are run in a thick layer near one end of the rollers, and in a thin layer near the other end of the rollers, greater pressure will be desired on the thick Vlayer than on the thin layer, and with thev springs independently anchored' orindependently reacting against fixed bases, this is just the result that will follow. Otherwise stated, the increasing pressure at the one end of the rollers will not be transmitted to the other ends of the rollers through the spring devices.

The adjustment of the relative tension ofthe springs 25 inrespectto eachother and the initial tension under which they will/be set is, as already stated, dependent on adjustments. of the spring caps 27; but simultaneous quick adjustments of the tension of the springs on the opposite ends of the rollers Vmay be quickly and easily accomplished by setting the lever 22 with its cam 22 in different positions of engagement with the inner ends of the pressure levers 19. Moreover, when the lever 22 is thrown over to t-he dotted line position of Fig. 1, its cam will be moved from under the inner ends of the pressure levers and the latter will move on their pivots 19, thereby entirely releasing the upper roller from. downward pressure. This release is important in case of accident or when clothes get wrapped around the rollers or stuck between the rollers.

One of the pressure levers 19, at its free outer end, is provided with a cam projection 32 that is engageable with the upper end of a clutch-tripping lever 33 that is pivoted to the frame 4 at 34 and has a forked lower end engaged with an annular groove in the half-clutch 11. VIn all'positions in which thecam 22 engages the inner ends of the pressure levers 19, this cam projection 32 will allow the trip' lever 33 to stand in its full line position of Fig. 1, with its two half-clutches 11 and 15 engaged, but when said cam 22 is moved into position to release the pressure levers 19, the latter, by the springs 25, will be thrown upward into dotted line positions of Fig. 1, and under such movements of said preure levers, the camprojection 32, acting on the trip 33, will move the same into its dotted line position, Fig. 1, thereb re# leasing the half-clutch l11 from the alfclutch 15 and disconnecting the wringer rollers from the power mechanism.

The wringer shown inthe drawings is a commercial form -of wringen which has been found highly elicient for the purposes had in view. It is of comparatively simple construction, very strong, durable and efficient. It has no parts that may .readily get out of order, and'may be used withsafety, since the pressure rollers may be readily released and disconnected from the power mechanism by a simple movement of the lever 22.

What I claim is:

1. In a wringer, the combination with wringing rolls and means for rotating the same, one of said rolls beingy movable towardy and from the other, a pair of pressure levers, rockers pivoted to and carried by said levers and operative on the corresponding ends of the movable roll, spring means operative on said rockers, means for adjusting said levers to vary the tension of said spring means, and means for independently adjusting the action of the spring means on the opposite ends of the springlressed roll.

In a wringer, frame, cooper-atm the combination with a rollers mounted on said frame, one of said rollers being movable toward and from the other, and means for driving said rollers, of pressure levers intermediately and4 independently pivoted to said frame, bell crank rockers pivoted to [he outer ends of said levers and operative to press the movable roller toward the other roller, independent tension springs operative on said rockers, a fixed base of reaction for said springs, spring caps having screwthreaded stems engaging said base of re- `action and operative on the inner ends of said springs to independei'xtly adjust the same.

3, In a wringer, the combination with a yoke-like frame having depending end portions, upper and lower roller bearings mounted in the end portions of said frame, wringer rollers journaled in said bearings and means for driving said rollers, of pressure levers intermediately4 and independently pivoted to the outer ends of sadarms and operative to press the upper bearings downward, a pivot bolt in the central upper portion of said frame, a cam operative on the inner ends of said pressure levers and having an extended operating level', tension springs acting at their outer ends on said bell crank rockers, a bracket `anchored to said frame by said pivot bolt but held against rotation, and caps engaging the inner ends of said tension springs and having threaded stems adjustably secured to' said anchored bracket.

4. In a wringer, the combination with cooperating wringer rollers and a powerdriving mechanism therefor, of intermediately pivoted pressure levers provided at their free outer ends with bell cranks operative to press the movable wringer roller toward the co-operating wringer roller, a spring tension device independent of said levers and compressed between the upper arms of said bell cranks, an abutment movable to and from an operative position under the inner ends of said pressure levers, means for operating the abutment, and a lever connected to said abutment, said abutment having a notched eccentric surface.

5. In a wringer, the combination with cooperating wringing rolls and a power-driving mechanism therefor, of intermediately pivoted pressure levers provided at their free outer ends with bell cranks operative to press the movable wringer roll toward the co-operating wringer roll, means for operating the ressu"`-e levers, aspring tension device in ependelit of. said levers compressed between the -*upper arms of said bell cranks, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring tension device. i

In testimony whereofl aix my signature.

, JOHN S. EASON. 

